Waterbeds : friend or foe, view point of a Massage Therapist

Do you remember in the 1980's when the cool thing to have in your bedroom was pastel colored paintings , black Formica furniture and the largest water bed you could find? While Michael Jackson ruled the pop music world water beds made their way into nearly every home promising each buyer to be lulled to sleep by the comfort of its liquid interior. As a massage therapist I see many people that suffer from back pain. Often times the complaint, "it has to be my mattress" is one I hear frequently. Although back pain can come from many different sources today I will give credit to the mattress as it deserves, but not just any mattress, the water bed. I'm a big fan of ocean waves and the relaxing effects of water, however when it comes to the support of your body during a good night's sleep I think any body worker will recoil at the idea of a water bed. The reason for this is the following; water beds simply do not offer any support for the weight of your body. Although the sinking sensation may seem soothing to some, it offers nothing withstand the weight of your body throughout your valued sleep time. You can often see evidence of the need to support your body through lower back or lumbar support waist bands. The well known cervical pillows offered on television or through different media sources shows the importance of firmness, which supports the natural curvature of your body. All of these products offer support, not sinking material or extremely soft substance. Imagine, health experts recommend eight to nine hours of sleep a night for the average person. Even if you only get five or six hours of sleep, this is still a considerable amount of time to lie down on a surface which wobbles instead of supports. Now, I'm not saying to adopt a bed right out of a Flintstones cartoon but stay in tune with what your body is telling you. This does not mean you have to be a doctor or a nutritionist to understand that your body is uncomfortable and that pain is a symptom of something wrong. In Japan and many other eastern cultures beds are firm and placed near to the ground. In the west we have grown accustomed to lounging among soft pillows,luxury sheets and down comforters. However, for those us who suffer from chronic neck and back pain due to insufficient support during their sleep, consider being guided by the example of out eastern neighbors and invest in a firm mattress. Live healthy and remember to support your local massage therapists!